Improvement in station-indicators



2 Sheets-Sheetl.

W. E. SCHNEIDER.

Station-Indicator.

`10.196469 Patented oct. 16,1877.

INVENTOR M l l WITJVES i NPETERS. PHDTU-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. E. SCHNEIDER.

Station-Indicator. No. 196,169. Pavmecl oct. 16,1677.

.A 1f. j

Z u V MPEERS, PHOTDLITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D.A C.

UNrrEn @Enron IMPROVEMENT IN STATION-INDICATORS.

Specification fonning part of Letters Patent No. 196,169, dated October 16, 1877; application filed August 29, 1877.

g To. all whom it may concern:

DER, of the Signal Service, United States Army, and a resident of the city of Vashington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Station- Indicators, of which the following is a specilication:

Reference is had to the'accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts.

Figure l is a front view of my invention, showingone of the indieatorcords in position, with the name Indianapolis printed thereon. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section looking rearwardly from the dotted line cc x. Fig. 3 is a side elevation. Fig. 4 isa top or plan view, and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section, looking to the right from the dotted line z z. Figs. 1 and 2 are views, with the forward end to the front. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 have the forward end turned to the right, and the sliding frame G in a position about halfway forward. Fig. 5, by means of dotted lines, shows the arms E E and L L, together -with the short arms attached thereto, in the positions they occupy while being operated. The other dotted lines in this figure show portions of the machinery on the opposite side of the machine.

The object of my invention is to provide a convenient and efficient means by which the names of the stations or streets which the cars are approaching can be plainly indicated to the passengers on railway or street cars during the time that elapses while the cars are passing from one station or street to another. This is accomplished by a machine constructed for the purpose, in which- Referring to the drawings, A is the outer frame or case; B, the inner or supporting frame-work for the machinery; C, a sliding or movable frame, which carries a portion of the working parts and operates the others, by engaging with them or their connections. D D are rods or slides on which the sliding frame C runs, and c c c c the bearings of the frame- C on the rods D D.

The means of indicating the stations or streets with my invention consists in the use of a series of rectangular cards (not shown in the drawings except in Fig. l, where one is shown in position) equal in number to the number of stations or streets on the line to be traveled, and which are placed in the proper order in the card-receptacle S, whence they are drawn as required. E E are upwardlyprojecting points on the lower portion of the frame C, which are of a sufficient height to engage and draw forward a single card at each forward motion of said frame. F F are arms which receive the cards as drawn forward by the points E E, and afterward raise them to position as the frame G recedes. fj' are wires inserted at the proper place in the arms, to keep the cards in the proper position vertically. G G are short downwardlyprojecting arms at right angles to the arms F F, and secured .to the same shaft therewith, one of which engages with the hooked arm I, and thus operates said arms F F. His the shaft on which the arms F F and G G are secured. 7i is a coiled spring on the end of the shaft H, which returns it and the arms thereon to their ordinary position after beingl operated by the arm I. I is an arm provided with ahook, which is attached to the lower part of the frame C, and

which, when said frame is brought forward, engages with the arm G, and as the frame C recedes so operates upon said arm G as to turn the shaft H, and thus force the arms F F upward, throwing` the indicator-card thereon into position. c' is the hook on the arm I, which enables it to engage with the arm G. J is'a spring, which keeps the arm I in position, and at the same time enables it to move sufficiently to do its proper work.

I( K are small fiat springs, between which the cards are forced by the arms F F, and

which hold said cards until removed by the larms L L. L L are arms pendent from the shaft N, which receive the cards from the arms F F, and which, at the proper time, raise said cards from their position, and deliver them upon the ledges P P, whence they are withdrawn into the card-receptacle S, by the crossarm R. M M are short curved arms, which serve as stops, preventing the shaft N from revolving too far, and thus throwing the arms L L and the card which they carry above the tops of the ledgesul? P. N isa shaft, on which 1 aresituated the 1arms LL and M 1M, andi also 1 the crank-arm O. .O is a crank-arm, having1 1 cranlcpin o on the shaft 1N, through which said 1 1 shaft andthe arms thereon are operated, by: 1 the mox'fahle lug 01 onth'e frame:G,while1said 1 frame is moving forward. This lug G4 1 has a1 1 1 joint 1oi`1 suoli construction that itis held rigid 1 1 :while1moving1forward, and iinces the crank-1 pin upward with certainty and 1 precision, but, 1 11beingeasilymova'blc in the 1 other direction, 11 the weight 'ofthe shaft N and its attachments 1' is sufficient to overcome it, `and they! arenot, 1 1 1 therefore, moved byits rearward motitru.1 1P 1 1 I); are ledges, which; receivethe cards from the arms L L. 1Q Q1 are spring standards, :which support the ledges P I), and which are sufif1 1 :eiently exible that they will: recede irointhe i 1 pressure of thezcarrl iasit isi raised hy the arms 1 1 L L, and allow it to pass nponthe ledges P1P. lt is a cross1iarm51attached to the s iding'irame 1,

10,1by which the card :is withdrawn: from the 1 ledges P Pinto the card-receptacle S,1whence 1 1 it; isagain taken in its turnhythe points 1 1 1 o1' is a1downwardlyfproiecting piece from the 1 1 arm It, which engages the card. S is a 1recep1 1 tacle 'of 1 substantially thel siteV and shape of 1 the 1 i Ica-rds, and into which they are placed, and

from which they are taken and replaced, sub-1 1 stantially inthe-manner and lby themeansy 1 1hereinbefore described; 1 i i 1 1 i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 f 1 I have devised 1a double means of operating 1 my machine, Veither of which may be 'used at I 1 1 1 pleasure, 1 Both are best shownin Fig, 3:, th ongh i 11 all the t gares illustrate them1 to someexteiit; 1

1 1 1 1 One means consists in thense of a; segment 1 1 of gearovhee11,i'I,1 which engages in a toothed 1 bar or rack, T', on the side of the frame C and the wheel U, over which runs a cord, W. By pulling this cord the wheel and segment, (which are secured to a common shaft, V,) are made to rotate, carrying with them the frame C, and consequently operating the machine.

The other means consists in the use of a long cord, W, which attaches to the frame C at 1o, and passes over the pulleys X X X, and isoperated in a similar manner to the cord attached to the wheel U.

Below Figs. 3 and 5 is shown, on a small scale,fa section of track with a device,Y, having inclined faces beside it, while directly above it is the T-shaped device Y, to which the cord IV is attached.

I design to ln ve this device Y pivoted to the truck-frame of the car, so that when its perpendicular arm strikes the incline one of the horizontal arms must be forced downward, and, as the cord WV is intended to be double for some distance on its lower end, and to have one strand attached to each one of the horizontal arms, the tipping oi' the device in cither direction will pull the cord, and thus operate the machine.

In operation this device Y may be constructed in a single piece, as shown, or it may be divided into two pieces and placed on a shaft, the perpendicular arm only being placed over the ineline,fwith1the horizontal ones more 1 or less to Vone side. 1 1 1 slidingirame (l. 1 1 1 1 For the purpose oil holdingthe cards upto level positioniin the receptacle S, while the 1 points EE are forward, I attach. Vto the topoi said points 1flat coiled spriugsll E', which run 1 1through' to theoutside of the framework, and 1 are there held by*suitableattachments. 1

1 I 1 contemplate using an alarmfbell with my 1 invention, which may be: cr'any desired con-V struction, andi operated by'an 1 attachment toi;

moving-part of the 1 machine that ismost 1 convenient. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 The operation of my invention'is briefly as 1 1 1 1i`ollows1: The cord W1 being tightiy drawn: and 1 1 1 1 1 yattachedto the horizontal arms 1ct the fdevice 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 the Contact of saiddevice 1rwith they inclined 1 fizicedprojection Y willlpull: saidieord1and1op-1 1 1 :er'ate the1 machine.V 1 W'hen desirable this de-1 1vico Y may be left ort1 and someother substi-1 1 1tuted,or1the cord may he pulled hand, and 1 1 thus dispense with the device alto gethe'r. 1 1 1 1 1 1 The machine itself1 operates by the motion 1 1ct the; sliding frame 10,1 which., in moving fori 1ward, accomplishes two :objects :1 the irst is 1to1 engage and carry with it,:hy means of the 1 1 1 points: E E, one of the indicia-,or-ez'urds,1 and de-1 1 liver itupon the arms 1F I 5 1 and thesecond is itc raise the card already in position, by means of the arms L L, upon the ledges P P, which it does by striking the lug C against the crankpin on the shaft N. In returning to position, which it does by means of the springs Z Z, the sliding frame also accomplishes two objects: the first is to throw the card just brought forward up in front of the oriiice, where it can be seen; and the second is to 'withdraw the card, just thrown on the ledges by the arms L L, back into the receptacle S, to be again used when the occasion returns.

It will be observed that the cards are reversed during the operation of going to and coming from the orifice, and thus by having a number of cards corresponding to the number oi' stations or streets in any route, and having them properly lettered on both sides, the indicator will automatically register each one, both going and returning, without any care whatever, after being once properly arranged, eX- cept to keep the machinery in order.

In places where it is undesirable to place the projections beside the track the device Y can be dispensedkwith and a hand-pull substituted. This may be either a shorter cord, a crank, or a lever, as isvmost convenient, and be operated by the person in charge of the car.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

i stantially as herein shown and described, the

l. In a station-indicator, the combination of the sliding,` carriage C having movable lug' C with the shaft N hadng crank O, for the purpose of operating the arms L L, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In a station-indicator, the combination of the .sliding ame C and the arm I having hook c' with the shaft H having,` short projecting arms G, for the purpose of operating the armsF F, substantially as herein shown and described. p

8. In a station-indicator construct-ed subcombination of the toothed segment T, rackbar T', and sliding frame C, for the purpose of operating the indicator in the manner specied.

4. In a station-indicator, the cross-arm R arranged as shown, and operated by the sliding-frame C, for the purpose of withdrawing the indicator-cards into their receptacle, substantially as specied.

5. In a station-indicator, the ledges P P mounted on spring-standards Q Q, for the purpose of receiving the indicator-cards from the arms L'L, substantially as herein shown and described. f

In Witness whereof I have herelmto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 25th day of August, A. D. 187 7.

WILLIAM E. SCHNEIDER. [L. s.]

In presence of- C. BRADFORD, ANDREW BILLING. 

